Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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508. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional specialised programmes she provides as part of the Lufthansa Technik European Globalisation Adjustment Fund programme in Rathcoole in County Dublin. [45342/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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530. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will publish the European Globalisation Fund applications for Lufthansa Technik and PWA International Limited in Rathcoole in County Dublin or make them available to Teachtaí Dála. [45144/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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531. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why only 200 persons categorised as not in employment, education or training were detailed in the Lufthansa Technik EGF application, when the European Commission rules allow for a maximum of one such person per redundant worker, if she will allow the Lufthansa Technik European Globalisation Fund programme to increase the number of persons who can participate in the programme to 424. [45145/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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546. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected or estimated expenditure to date for the Lufthansa Technik European Globalisation Fund programme in Rathcoole in County Dublin. [45343/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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547. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the European Globalisation Fund service stakeholders for the Lufthansa Technik Programme in Rathcoole in County Dublin are required to submit projected or estimated expenditure to the European Globalisation Fund unit, the details of these provided to date. [45344/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of expenditure claims submitted by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund service stakeholders for the Lufthansa Technik Programme in Rathcoole in County Dublin; and the value of these claims. [45345/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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549. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to add an additional European Globalisation Fund stakeholder group in all existing and future funding programmes for the community and voluntary sector, to provide an additional avenue to ensure the maximum level of participation in current and future programmes, particularly from those classified as not in employment, education or training. [45346/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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550. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional specialised programmes being provided by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire education and training programme as part of the Lufthansa Technik European Globalisation Fund programme. [45347/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 508, 530, 531 and 546 to 550, inclusive, together.

The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) EGF programme application and related material is available on the dedicated EGF website www.egf.ie. The PWA International application, which is currently awaiting approval by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, will be published following its approval. A decision on this application is expected this month.

The LTAI EGF programme will run until 19 September 2016. The overall programme allocation is some €4.15m including an EU contribution of €2.49m, representing 60% of the total. While the number of redundant workers is 424, based on previous experience the targeted number of redundant workers under the Programme is set at 250 and the number of young persons under the age of 25 not in employment, education or training (NEET persons) is set at 200. In accordance with Article 6(2) of Regulation EU No 1309/2013 on the EGF, the number of NEETs cannot exceed the number of targeted beneficiaries.

While the target number of NEETs could be increased to 250, engagement with the NEET cohort is proving challenging in the time-limited context of EGF programmes. At end August 2015, 76 NEETs, representing 38% of the 200 target, had participated in EGF related programme measures. Two separate listings of verified NEET persons have been supplied to date by the Department of Social Protection to my Department and these persons have been contacted by the SOLAS EGF Co-ordination units on a number of occasions.

My Department has recently processed an interim advance payment on LTAI EGF programme enterprise supports to Enterprise Ireland for €68,306 in respect of supports being provided by local enterprise offices in South Dublin and Kildare. Individual service providers did not submit expenditure estimates to my Department for inclusion in this EGF programme application. Rather beneficiary surveys, cited training needs, estimated participation rates and averaged measure delivery costs informed estimated total programme expenditure. It must be stressed that final programme expenditure is, as with any EGF programme, dependant ultimately on the take-up of measures, and the particular measure type, by many hundreds of individuals on a personalised choice basis. As the programme will run until next September and public beneficiary bodies are funding the cost of EGF measures from national budgets and will subsequently submit expenditure declarations at programme end, it is difficult to accurately forecast the final expenditure. However, I understand that take-up of EGF support measures offered to date is less than anticipated. As mentioned earlier take-up among the NEETs was 38% at end August while the former worker take-up was at 77% of the targeted beneficiaries at that time. The improved economic climate resulting in a re-employment rate of some 60% at end August may be a factor which mitigates against a higher programme participation rate. Lower than estimated take-up rates will result in lower final total expenditure.

EGF beneficiaries may avail of the full suite of courses, whether standard or specialised, offered by various service providers from within the public and private education and training sectors. In particular, the EGF Training Grant scheme administered by SOLAS enables a wide range of flexible personalised guidance, training and education supports to be taken up. In terms of specialised programmes to date, while the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board works closely with the EGF Co-Ordination Unit in Solas and while it has not to date provided any specialised programmes for LTAI workers, it has provided individual supports and has facilitated the on-site provision of the tailored NFQ level 8 Higher Diploma in Coaching/Coaching Psychology which was initiated by the Co-Ordination Unit and is being provided through University College Cork. This is a progressive course following on from the earlier ''Dealing with Change, Challenge and Opportunity Mindfully' guidance programme delivered in Tallaght. Other specialised courses include modules of the Bosch Diagnostic Technician Programme leading to automotive technical accreditation and the provision of individual career development supports through the EGF training grant scheme. Discussions are ongoing as to whether there is scope for additional tailored course provision, in terms of delivery timescale and content and sufficient beneficiary interest.

My Department is continuing to liaise with the EGF Coordination Unit and other partners to maximise engagement with the programme. The potential involvement of community and voluntary organisations as suggested by the Deputy is being considered for this and future programmes.